Mar 21How to verify a digital signature from a PDF with JavascriptIn this article, we’re going to talk about how to extract a digital signature from a PDF using Javascript. To follow along please make sure you have access to a signed PDF and a Hexadecimal editor, I use the Hex VS Code plugin. Luckily programmatically finding a signature in a…Pdf8 min read
Jan 2Breath of the Wild is a good game, but is it a masterpiece?Before getting my Nintendo Switch earlier this year I hadn’t owned a home Nintendo console since the Wii or a handheld since the Gameboy Advance, so this was my chance to catch up on some good games, one of them being The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. I’d…Zelda12 min read
Oct 20, 2021How to set up a Node 16, Express & Typescript APII’ve been working on changing up one of my python projects to typescript and it surprises me that in 2021 there isn’t a CLI tool or script that can set this up for you already. You can tell I’m from the frontend world 😃 Anyway, I’ve put this article together…Typescript4 min read
Jul 23, 2021How to digitally sign a PDF programmatically using Javascript/NodejsAs things are being done more and more online the conventional “wet ink” signature, while still having a place in the world is slowly being replaced by digital signatures. There are services like DocuSign and Adobe Sign that allow you to sign a document in minutes nevertheless if you’re somewhat…5 min read
Jun 25, 2021What is service design? From a developer’s perspectiveBefore I joined Caution Your Blast as a developer in February, the term “service design” was something I’d heard of but never really understood. I’d worked at a small start-up that had the typical “move fast and break things” mantra, so we didn’t spend much time on discovery. I’ve also…Service Design4 min read
Published in Octopus Labs London·Nov 16, 20204 front end web podcasts hosted by people of colourI’m a bit unusual in the sense that I listen to podcasts only when I work. I like the sound of people talking to me in the background, it’s kind of soothing. I tend to listen to mainly game industry and tech, front end related podcast. This year many horrific…Front End Development5 min read
Published in Octopus Labs London·May 31, 2020How to structure files in large React projectsReact is a very open component library and there’s no specific way to layout files. This can be a good thing for small projects but a bad thing (kind of) for very large projects. I’ve come up with what I think is a decent way to structure files for large…React2 min read
Published in Octopus Labs London·Apr 7, 2020Unit Testing tips with modern React and EnzymeHooks, context, redux, these are a few of the things frontend developers who use React know of quite well. They’re tools we use to make development easier but they can sometimes be quite difficult to test. …Unit Test Tools6 min read
Published in Octopus Labs London·Aug 4, 2019How to access a redux component’s methods with createRef()If you do a quick Google search for ‘share methods between react components’, it won’t take you long to stumble upon a stack overflow thread similar to this one which would recommend using refs. Refs in React are a way to access React elements or DOM nodes that have been…React3 min read
Published in Octopus Labs London·Feb 9, 2019Replacing redux with react hooks and context (part 2)This post is a continuation of a previous one if you’re coming here without going to the first post I highly recommend you check that one out first. Go to Part 1 → If you came here straight from Part 1 you should have a list of Rick and Morty episodes in your browser, if…React8 min read
